CME Group Net Income Falls as Interest Rate, Equity Volume Drops

Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) -- CME Group Inc., the world’s largest
futures market, said fourth-quarter profit fell, compared with a
year-earlier period that included a $528 million Illinois state
tax benefit.

Net income dropped to $166.8 million, or 50 cents a share,
from $746 million, or $2.25 a share, a year earlier, Chicago-based CME said today in a statement distributed by PR Newswire.
Excluding charges of $43.5 million related to the state income
tax and other items, profit was 63 cents per share, falling
short of the average estimate of 64 cents in a Bloomberg survey
of analysts. CME Group split its stock five-for-one in July.

Average daily volume in the quarter fell 13 percent, led by
equity index, energy and interest rate contracts, CME Group said
last month. Volume may fall 2 percent this year and not pick up
until the end of 2014, Niamh Alexander, an analyst at KBW Inc.
in New York said in December note to clients. She expected the
company to earn 63 cents a share.

Revenue fell 10.3 percent to $661 million last quarter,
from $737 million a year ago, the company said.

CME Group shares have risen 8.2 percent over the past year.
They gained 1.5 percent to $59.18 today in New York.

(CME Group will hold a conference call for analysts and
investors at 4:30 p.m. New York time. To listen, access the
company’s Website at http://www.cmegroup.com)